Gone
by bandgeek1314
Summary: After Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter were killed by Voldemort, Cho Chang and her friends are sent on a mission to recover the bodies, and relive the pair's final moments.
1. Chapter 1

She should have known he would have found her.

She figured he knew her too well. Almost a year of knowing her deepest thoughts, and fears, and everything else there is to know, and it made sense that he would know where she was.

He found her crying, in a small window seat behind a statue of an ancient witch with hair almost to her waist on the fourth floor.

"Cho," he murmured, squeezing next to her, "what's wrong?"

"I-nothing," the girl wiped her eyes on her arm. "It's nothing." The boy put his arms around her, holding her.

"Hey, it's okay," he told her. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

"I-just" the girl looked down, her silky black hair concealing her features and muffling her next words. "I'm scared something's going to happen to you. I mean, the Tournament was canceled for hundreds of years because of the death toll! How do I know that's not going to be you?" the girl's voice broke on the last word. The boy leaned closer, and grabbed her hand with one of his.

"Cho. I'll be fine. We've already had two tasks, and I'm still alive right now." The girl looked up at him, her pretty face showing the fear and worry she felt.

"Cedric, this isn't like the other tasks! There are rumors about basilisks and giant spiders and vampires in that maze! I almost lost you in the first task, I don't want to lose you for real this time." The boy opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it and got up. He held his hand out to help the girl up, and she took it and stood.

"The third task doesn't start for another hour. How about a walk around beforehand? "Cedric suggested.

Cho nodded, attempting to smile. The two walked around the Hogwarts castle, passing by other students who wished Cedric good luck, or smiled sympathetically at Cho. The two stayed linked together by their hands the entire time.

The only thing that seemed strange was when Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger walked past the couple, muttering under their breath and looking around anxiously. Cho found it odd that Harry Potter was not with them, as the three seemed like a tight group of friends.

Cho could never really decide how she felt about Harry. She knew he liked her, and had asked her to the Yule Ball, but she was happy dating Cedric. She looked up at him subconsciously and he noticed. He smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Let's go up to the seventh floor," he suggested. The two walked up several winding staircases until they reached the top level of Hogwarts castle. They were alone in the long hallway, and, before she could stop herself, Cho threw her arms around Cedric. He gently embraced her too, and leaned his head on top of hers. For a long time they stood there, neither wanting to be the first to let go. Cho closed her eyes and wished that she could keep Cedric there, so that she would know he wouldn't get hurt.

After what seemed like forever, Cedric spoke.

"I need to go," he told her apologetically. The couple stepped apart and Cho looked down, suddenly overcome with her emotions.

"Hey," Cedric said softly. "I'm going to be okay. I promise." Cho nodded but still didn't look up. Cedric lightly touched her cheek, then lifted her face to look at him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Cho whispered. Cedric smiled, then leaned forward and kissed her gently. "Bye, beautiful," he told her. He then walked down the staircase to the third task.

"Bye, Cedric," Cho whispered. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Cedric will be fine, she told herself, as she set off toward the Quidditch pitch.

Little did she know that that was the last time she would see him alive.

**Hi, everyone! I'm so excited to be writing a Harry Potter story! And if you haven't already, you should read Secrets, my Hunger Games story Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Rain dripped past the window as Cho Chang stared out the steamy glass. She was in her dorm room-alone-the only place in which she could find peace and get away from all the students who cast her sympathetic looks.

None of them understood.

No other student could realize the pain Cho was experiencing. They didn't know the feeling of having their heart ripped out because of the loss of someone they loved dearly. And for the death of that person to be mysterious and unexplained-it wasn't even safe to assume that they would rest in peace.

And as for Harry...

Cho didn't know how to feel about Harry. All she knew was that when she thought of him, many emotions just combined into the pain of loss. Cedric had been her boyfriend, her confidant, her love, but Harry? Cho didn't know what to think.

It was the day before all Hogwarts students would leave the castle. Many of Cho's friends and classmates were excited to be leaving after a long, stressful term, but a good portion of the students were mourning from the deaths of two beloved, popular boys whom nearly everyone had liked.

Cho wasn't the only one close to breaking. Several of Cedric's best friends, as well as those close to Harry were in the same mood as Cho. And they all knew they would never be the same.

The memories from just before the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament haunted Cho. Cedric had promised that he would be okay, told her he loved her...

Cho was jolted out of her flashback by a voice calling her name. It was a good friend of hers, Marietta, carrying a rolled up piece of paper.

"Cho, I was told to give this to you," said the other girl, shoving the paper into Cho's hand and then walking out, displaying her usual sense of self importance and lack of interest in others.

As Cho unfolded the scroll, she discovered neat, slanted writing and read through it, thoroughly confused.

Miss Chang,

Please report to my office immediately, located behind the stone gargoyle on the third floor. The password is 'cockroach cluster.'

Thank you,

Professor Dumbledore

Cho had no idea why she had to go to Dumbledore's office, but it couldn't have been good. She was guessing that he had noticed her moping and was going to tell her off. But since there was no way to avoid it, Cho walked down toward the office, stopping only to splash her face with cold water to try to disguise the marks left from her tears.

As she entered the third floor hallway, Peeves the Poltergeist swooped down from a nearby classroom and started throwing pencils at Cho, while raining down colorful bits of ghost profanity. Cho threw her hands over her head and ducked, trying to shield herself.

"PEEVES!" a voice yelled from down the hallway angrily. "Get out of here!"

Professor McGonagall, looking harassed, muttered something and flicked her wand, and Peeves was buffeted away on a curtain of air. The teacher waited until Cho was nearly to the stone gargoyle before asking suspiciously, "what are you doing here?"

"I have to go see Professor Dumbledore," Cho said miserably, showing her the slightly crumpled note.

Professor McGonagall looked at it briefly and opened her mouth to give her okay when she noticed the expression on Cho's face.

"All you all right?" the teacher asked in a softer voice, "you don't seem happy."

Cho was not in the mood for spilling her feelings to the professor. She was going to be late for her meeting with Dumbledore if she didn't hurry, anyway.

"No, I'm not," Cho said brusquely. And she turned away to the gargoyle and told it "cockroach cluster."

The gargoyle jumped aside and she walked into what seemed to be a spiral staircase. After following it up, Cho saw a gleaming wooden door. She knocked.

"Come in," said a deep, welcoming voice. Cho opened the door, walked in a few steps, and gasped. Dumbledore's office was incredible, with books upon books, a sunny window, and shining silver instruments. The man himself was seated at his desk, scrawling on a piece of parchment. Dumbledore looked up, saw who the visitor was, and put aside his quill. He stood, and gestured for her to sit in the empty chair across from him. Cho sat, and looked at Dumbledore warily.

"I know these last few weeks have been difficult for you," Dumbledore said quietly. "It is not fair that those we love should be taken away from us, especially at such an early age."

Cho looked up into the brilliant blue eyes, taken off guard. She had expected a reprimand, not...this.

"But some things still have to be done, even after tragedies. For example, the bodies of Harry and Cedric have still not been found, and the cause of their death is still undetermined."

Cho looked down again, tears beginning to fill her eyes again. She couldn't let Dumbledore see her cry. When Cho sneaked a glance up at the headmaster, she saw him pretending to be fascinated with something outside, for which she was grateful. After a few minutes, she felt composed enough to speak.

"I know," Cho told him.

"Yes, of course you do. And we-we referring to my trusted friends and I- have been looking for clues as to what might have happened to the two boys. So far, however, we have come up with nothing. Our next idea is to send students, since it's your summer break starting tomorrow."

Cho didn't understand what Dumbledore meant. What did he mean by 'sending students?'

As if reading her thoughts, Dumbledore started speaking again. "This may be difficult for you to understand. But here's what I'm saying: starting the day after tomorrow, I need to recruit you and three other students to go on a secret mission. You'll be journeying where you can with what we have figured out."

Dumbledore looked like he could still tell that Cho didn't understand.

"Cho," he said, blue eyes looking very serious. "I need you to lead a mission-I need you to find the bodies of Harry and Cedric."

** I feel like that was a terrible way to end the chapter...**

**But I'm now rereading the HP series for the fourth time, and, as I was drinking tea, which reminded me of Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they go to Hagrid's cabin, I decided to write. Yay!**


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